FARMVILLE — Leaders of the Word of Truth Anointed Ministry are hoping to make a mark in the Farmville community with a new food pantry.
Located on Stantonsburg Road, The Shepherd’s Food Pantry Word of Truth Anointed Ministries is one of the newest additions to Farmville's network of churches. The church relocated in September 2015 and opened the food pantry in July.
The food pantry initially served approximately 30 families, but volunteers reached out to the Farmville unit of the Boys & Girls Club of the Coastal Plain and the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office to spread the word about the pantry’s services.
“Right now, we're at 95 families,” said Sandra Williams, the church's assistant pastor and director of the food pantry. “We want people to know about it. That's what it's for — for them and we want them to know.”
And local residents are glad it is there.
“I was out of work for a whole month and the pantry helps me out a whole lot. I think it's really needed … for people who run into a little hardship,” said a patron, who wished to remain anonymous.
Williams is happy that the community has responded positively to the pantry. She hopes more community members will get involved by volunteering. The food pantry has a blend of church and community members volunteering, but Williams said she would like to see more Farmville residents come out to lend their time.
“I am really advocating for community volunteers. We're a small congregation right now. We're always advocating for volunteers,” Williams said.
The food pantry receives its food through the Greenville branch of the food bank. Organizers allow food recipients to choose what they want out of the food offered.
“We have it set up so they can come in and pick out what they want,” Williams said. “It's not packed for them. They are able to go through and pick out what they want. I like that better because not everybody might like what is given to them. We wanted to make sure that they got what they wanted.”
The pantry also allows people to call ahead of time to set up boxes, so they can simply come by and pick up their food.
Being able to choose what they want appeals to many of the pantry's participants.
“A lot of people can't get help with food,” said Farmville resident Delisa Spann. “If they make a certain amount of money, they can't get food stamps, so places like this are a big help.”
Williams and her volunteers hope that the pantry will ultimately become a fixture in the community.
“I can't express how important this is to the community,” Mary Howard said. “There are people in this community that ... may not have enough. They can come here and choose what they want. It's very important to have this in Farmville.”
The Shepherd’s Food Pantry Word of Truth Anointed Ministries is open from 8-10 a.m. the second and fourth Saturday of each month. The pantry is at 7227 Stantonsburg Road. Patrons should bring a bag. To volunteer, call Williams at 341-9949.
